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Layla Mashkoor

@laylam.bsky.social
4.1K followers 470 following 120 posts

Deputy Director of Research, @dfrlab.bsky.social.

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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Telegram Briefly Removed From App Store Over Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Content www.forbes.com/sites/siladi...
forbes.com
Telegram Briefly Removed From App Store Over Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Content
Telegram has been mired in other recent controversies including allegations by Russia of aiding terrorism and criticism by Australia over its handling of violent content.
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Dana El Kurd @danaelkurd.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
It's out! The full "Handbook on Authoritarianism in the Arab World" is available open access here: www.bloomsburycollections.com/encyclopedia...
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
With Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan winning re-election, read our latest on how Russia applied its Moldova playbook to interfere in the Armenia race dfrlab.org/2026/06/05/f...
dfrlab.org
From Chisinau to Yerevan: How Russia's Evrazia brought its Moldova playbook to Armenia
Russia is using sanctioned NGOs to influence elections and undermine pro-Western governments
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group issues rare warning that China is using Linkedin to target military officers, spies for secret information www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
washingtonpost.com
U.S. and intelligence allies issue rare joint warning about China
Nations in the Five Eyes intelligence partnership warned that fake profiles and job offers are targeting military officers, spies, and others with access to classified or sensitive information.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
“Everything is part of a struggle for narrative control of this war. Nuance be damned.” www.zocalopublicsquare.org/iranians-inf...
zocalopublicsquare.org
Iranians Are Stuck in the Middle of an Information War | Essay | Zócalo Public Square
On the first day of Trump’s Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the United States military struck a school in the south of the country multiple times,
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Applications are now open for @dfrlab.bsky.social's Digital Sherlocks 2026 program🕵️‍♀️ Join a global cohort learning how to investigate online information, track influence operations, and strengthen information integrity. 🗓 Apply by April 14 🔗 form.jotform.com/260633500818...
form.jotform.com
2026 Digital Sherlocks Application
Please click the link to complete this form.
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Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Why do I have to pretend that I'm going to print something in order to save it as a PDF. Why do I have to engage in a little ruse.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
“Using social media has ruined my self-esteem and my relation to being a girl in this world” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
I am a 15-year-old girl. Let me show you the vile misogyny that confronts me on social media every day | Anonymous
Objectification, hate, rape threats: the politicians debating online abuse mean well, but to truly understand, they need to see what I see
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Axios @axios.com · 23/02/2026
Top Democratic officials who worked on the party's still-secret autopsy of the 2024 election concluded that Kamala Harris lost significant support because of the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza, Axios has learned.
axios.com
Scoop: DNC officials working on secret report found Gaza stance cost Harris votes
The DNC's research on what went wrong in 2024 has been under lock and key since party leaders decided to hide it from the public.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago apnews.com/article/open...
apnews.com
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI says it considered alerting Canadian police last year about the activities of a person who months later committed one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
I discussed Iran’s internet blackout with the New York Times. The information void is actively being filled with influence ops from Iran’s adversaries and allies. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/b... @dfrlab.bsky.social
nytimes.com
Battles Over Truth Rage Online Amid Iran’s Internet Blackout
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Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
RFE/RL, which has sued Kari Lake to block her termination of its federal funding grants, resumes shortwave radio broadcasts into Iran following the imposition of an internet blackout by the Islamic Republic. about.rferl.org/article/radio...
about.rferl.org
Radio Farda Returns to Shortwave, Bypassing Iran’s Digital Blackout
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has today resumed shortwave radio broadcasts into Iran following the imposition of an internet blackout by the Islamic Republic.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Spoke to the Washington Post for this article about @dfrlab.bsky.social’s research into the online chaos that followed Maduro’s capture.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 12/01/2026
Malaysia and Indonesia become the first countries to block Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, after authorities said it was being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.
bit.ly
Malaysia, Indonesia become first to block Musk’s Grok over AI deepfakes
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok due to its misuse in generating explicit images.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
An image that captures what’s happening in Iran: a female protester raises a ripped down surveillance camera. Photo via the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights.
B&w photo of woman with surveillance camera
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Joe Uchill @joeuchill.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Twitter‘s solution to making CSAM for free is to make CSAM for profit.
bbc.com
Limiting Grok AI image edits to paid users 'insulting' to victims, says No 10
It comes after government urged Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Internet traffc in Iran dropped to effectively zero as of 18:45 UTC (22:15 PM local time) on 1/8, signaling a complete shutdown in the country, and disconnection from the global internet -Cloudfare radar.cloudflare.com/traffic/ir?d... www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Copy Editing Matters, from HHS's release on the new childhood vaccine schedule: All the diseases will still be available to anyone who wants them
Ensures that all the diseases covered by the previous immunization schedule will still be available to anyone who wants them through Affordable Care Act insurance plans and federal insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program. Families will not have to purchase them out of pocket. Among peer nations, the U.S. will continue to offer the most childhood vaccines for free to those who want them.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Russia sanctions 28 Canadians. The list largely targets researchers, many from HREC (holodomor.ca), plus @socialmedialab.ca. A clear sign these organizations are doing excellent work that should be protected and supported. news.zerkalo.io/world/117383...
news.zerkalo.io
Россия закрыла въезд для 28 канадских граждан, «продвигающих неонацистскую идеологию»
Решение принято в ответ на ранее введенные Оттавой ограничения в отношении российских граждан и структур.
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Raphael Satter @raphae.li · 05/01/2026
Many are just waking up to the Grok-nonconsensual images story as these pictures began flooding X over the holidays, but here’s our piece from Jan 2 featuring a victim, Julie Yukari, who was brave enough to speak on the record and on camera: www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
reuters.com
Elon Musk's Grok AI floods X with sexualized photos of women and minors
When contacted by Reuters for comment by email, xAI replied with the message "Legacy Media Lies."
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Genuinely find this upsetting to watch. It’s the live and mass violation of women for daring to exist outside the narrow confines of a controlled and sexualised plaything for men
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George Pearkes @peark.es · 05/01/2026
Reuters natsec reporter Phil Stewart: "Venezuela orders police to find, arrest anyone involved in supporting U.S. attack-decree"
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
It is an inalienable tenet of modern life that disinformation, much of it now AI-generated, will spread in the wake of breaking news events www.wired.com/story/disinf...
wired.com
Disinformation Floods Social Media After Nicolás Maduro’s Capture
From seemingly AI-generated videos to repurposed old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
The DFRLab has long tracked the digital means that aided in Venezuela's descent into autocracy. As Venezuela enters a pivotal moment, it is worth revisiting how Maduro weaponized digital tools. See 2024 report: "Venezuela: A Playbook for Digital Repression” www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
atlanticcouncil.org
How Venezuela became a model for digital authoritarianism
This report dives deep into the state of media in Venezuela and the role it played in the country's slide toward authoritarianism.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
The DFRLab has long tracked the digital means that aided in Venezuela's descent into autocracy. As Venezuela enters a pivotal moment, it is worth revisiting how Maduro weaponized digital tools. See 2024 report: "Venezuela: A Playbook for Digital Repression” www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
atlanticcouncil.org
How Venezuela became a model for digital authoritarianism
This report dives deep into the state of media in Venezuela and the role it played in the country's slide toward authoritarianism.
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Colin and Sophie Hortman, the children of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, are asking Trump to remove the false posts about their parents' killing:
My father and mother, Mark Hortman and Melissa Hortman, and their dog Gilbert, were killed by a man who believed conspiracy theories and fake news. Words matter. Sharing fake news is dangerous.
One part of my grief journey has been understanding the last conversation with my mother. She loved her job. People respected her job and what she did at her job.
When I called her after the legislative session ended, I asked why she voted for the bill mentioned in the video shared by President Trump, and she wept. That bill and her vote had nothing to do with fraud. She voted for that bill because it was the only way to avoid a government shutdown. She had seen the impact of shutdowns: people lose their health care, their jobs, and in some cases, from a story she told me, have taken their own lives.
She was in a very tough position on that vote. She had never really voted against her conscience like that. It was emotional and extremely difficult. Her struggle with that vote makes this conspiracy all the more painful for me.
I am asking President Trump to remove the video that he shared and apologize to me and my family for posting this misinformation and for using my mother's own words to dishonor her memory.My sister Sophia Hortman (Sophie) asked me to share this on her behalf, she is off social media: "The video shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social is a painful, false twisting of my mother's final vote.
The vote she made was incredibly difficult for my mother; it was not a vote made lightly or with malice in her heart. She made the decision to prevent a government shutdown because she believed our great state protects and helps Minnesotans.
We must create a society in which we do not harbor hatred and violence toward our political opponents, and this video promotes a false narrative which fuels the flames of political division. The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents, Mark and Melissa, and their beloved Gilbert. I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post on Truth Social."
Please share our message and help us ask the President to take this down.
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Nardwuar the Human Serviette @nardwuarserviette.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
I am honoured to announce I’ve been appointed as a member to the Order of Canada. Thank you to everyone for the support! I dedicate this to my late Mom who taught me so much about history, local independent media & research. I know that she would be, like me, screaming with joy! #orderofcanada
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
It has been a year of challenges and turbulence, but the work continues. dfrlab.org/2025/12/31/t...
dfrlab.org
The DFRLab reflects on 2025
The DFRLab's 2025 investigations expose global attempts to undermine democracies, erode public trust, and weaponize emerging technologies.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 27/12/2025
Exclusive: Internal documents reveal Meta pursued a yearslong strategy to bring more teens to Instagram even after critics said it wasn’t safe.
washingtonpost.com
Leaked documents show Instagram’s plan to win back teens
Instagram has pursued a yearslong strategy to win teens back to the app after its critics said the platform wasn’t safe for them, documents obtained by The Post show.
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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
Good article, but I think we could add that many of the current government officials & influencers spreading political point-scoring falsehoods during crisis events HAVE BECOME gov officials & influencers BECAUSE of their bullshit-spreading talents. System effects of rotten attention dynamics.
nytimes.com
Government Officials Once Stopped False Accusations After Violence. Now, Some Join In.
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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Mustapha Kharbouch, the Palestinian student who was falsely accused last week of being the Brown University shooter by various racists and conspiracy theorists.

X.com
Last week, online conspiracy theorists wrongfully blamed Mustapha Kharbouch, a young Palestinian student at Brown University, for the horrific shooting in early December because of a photo of him wearing a Keffiyeh. In the days since, Kharbouch has faced death threats and unimaginable Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.
Today, I had the privilege of speaking with Mustapha. I learned about his life as a bright-eyed scholar interested in international relations and Anthropology. He shared stories about his summer living in Sunnyside while he pursued an internship.
He is considering a PhD and thinks about moving back to New York City one day if he can afford it.
And I learned about his Palestinian heritage, the very heritage he was doxxed for.
I told Mustapha that we would love to have him back in New York City, where — as Mayor — I will make it my job to cherish, protect, and celebrate all New Yorkers and combat Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism at every corner.
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DFRLab @dfrlab.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Join us today @ 8:30 AM ET | 2:30 PM CET for key lessons from Moldova’s 2025 elections w/ DFRLab's @buziashvili.bsky.social @victoriaolari.bsky.social & @laylam.bsky.social bit.ly/49cY1lG
bit.ly
Lessons on countering foreign manipulation from Moldova’s 2025 elections
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab discusses lessons learned from safeguarding the 2025 elections in Moldova against foreign information manipulation and interference.
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RSF @handle.invalid · 17/12/2025
#Belarus: RSF reveals the existence of a previously unknown spyware tool, used since at least 2021 by the KGB against journalists. Installed after the physical confiscation of phones, #ResidentBat constitutes a grave violation of press freedom. RSF calls for a ban on these surveillance technologies.
rsf.org
Exclusive: RSF uncovers new spyware from Belarus
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s Digital Security Lab (DSL), working with the Eastern European organisation RESIDENT.NGO, has uncovered a previously unknown spyware tool used by the State Security Co...
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I’ll be moderating this discussion on Wednesday on lessons from Moldova’s elections. Anyone who cares about information or election integrity should be closing watching what is unfolding in Moldova.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
I’ll be moderating this discussion on Wednesday on lessons from Moldova’s elections. Anyone who cares about information or election integrity should be closing watching what is unfolding in Moldova.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
"A.I.s end up collapsing into drivel quite a lot. They somehow manage to be both predictable and nonsensical at the same time." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/m...
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
“1 in 10 Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigations now involve at least one extremist under age 18, the agency’s director said on Nov. 13.” globalnews.ca/news/1154264...
globalnews.ca
Youth arrested in Ontario for posting ISIS videos, seeking firearms | Globalnews.ca
The arrest comes amid what security officials are calling a worrying trend of youth radicalization.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
And this is why we need data transparency from platforms. www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...
thedailybeast.com
Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Actors
A new feature on Elon Musk’s X has given deeper insight into the online “America First” movement.
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Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
cnbc.com
Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm, court filing alleges
Meta is alleged to have halted internal research suggesting social media harm, according to court documents.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
New report! 49 African countries now use biometric systems, but weak governance, heavy reliance on foreign vendors, and limited transparency risk exclusion and surveillance. www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
atlanticcouncil.org
Biometrics and digital identity in Africa
Biometrics have become deeply embedded in Africa’s political, social, and economic landscape.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 03/10/2025
Several journalists resigned this week from three newspapers in Alaska after the publications’ corporate owner made significant edits to an article about Charlie Kirk’s death, after pressure from a Republican state lawmaker who had criticized the coverage.
nyti.ms
Journalists at 3 Alaska Newspapers Quit Over Charlie Kirk Story
The publications in Alaska lost significant staffing after the owners made changes to an article that had drawn criticism from a Republican state lawmaker.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 03/10/2025
Apple removes ICE tracking apps after pressure by Trump administration reut.rs/4mIfztt
reut.rs
Apple removes ICE tracking apps after pressure by Trump administration
Apple said on Thursday that it had removed ICEBlock, the most popular ICE-tracking app, and other similar apps from its App Store after it was contacted by President Donald Trump's administration.
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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
I spoke to parents who are letting their young kids play with generative AI and tried to sort through some of the questions they have about it. "I don’t know what this is doing to their brains," one dad told me. Meanwhile, Sam Altman says, "Kids love ChatGPT on voicemode."
theguardian.com
‘My son genuinely believed it was real’: Parents are letting little kids play with AI. Are they wrong?
Some believe AI can spark their child’s imagination through personalized stories and generative images. Scientists are wary of its affect on creativity
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Update from @freedomflotilla.bsky.social states the Mikeno came within 7nm of Gaza before being intercepted
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Toronto Star @thestar.com · 02/10/2025
The federal government has updated its travel advisory to the U.S. with a warning that people who have the gender-neutral “X” identifier on their passports may face restrictions when crossing the southern border.
thestar.com
Canada issues warning for U.S.-bound travellers with gender-neutral passports
The advisory notes some countries, including the U.S., don’t recognize the “X” gender identifier, meaning entry is not guaranteed.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
The Flotilla ship Mikeno has gone dark, its current status is unknown. But it is reportedly the first civilian vessel to successfully enter Gaza’s territorial waters. www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/...
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Yep. LLM poisoning is the next stage of info ops.
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Layla Mashkoor @laylam.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
A huge communications blackout has hit Afghanistan after Taliban authorities began severing fibre-optic connections in several provinces to prevent “vice” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
theguardian.com
Afghanistan hit by communications blackout after Taliban shuts internet
Telecoms disrupted nationwide after authorities cut fibre optic connections in several provinces to prevent ‘vice’
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